The iPhone XS and XS Max are Potentially More Expensive Than You Realize

The new iPhones are a lot of things and one of those things is expensive. The iPhone XS Max with the biggest storage capacity could run you a whopping $1,500 when it's all said and done, making it Apple's most expensive phone to date. The cheapest version of these new phones, the 64GB iPhone XS, retails for $999. We've established that the new iPhones aren't cheap, and we haven't even talked about service pricing yet.

The iPhone XS repair prices are the same as the iPhone X: $279 for screen repair and $549 for "other damage." Those prices are already ridiculous, especially considering that according to the IHS Markit teardown, it costs $370.25 to build an iPhone from scratch. The iPhone XS Max is even worse, costing $329 and $599, respectively. $599 will get you a brand new iPhone 8.

The obvious answer is AppleCare+, but that doesn't take much of the sting away. You're still paying $269, and then if you need "other damage" repaired, you pay the first $99, bringing the cost to $368, almost the price of a brand new iPhone 7.

Why stop now? From the iPhone X to the new XS models, battery replacements have gone from $29 to $69, over twice as much. This is despite the fact that the iPhone XS is structurally identical to the iPhone X and the battery capacities are the same.

Will any of this matter? No, probably not, but it's hard to deny that these prices seem a little hard to justify. Especially when Samsung lets you repair their high-end screens yourself, something that can be done for less than $100.

About The Author

Dylan Duarte is a freelance writer who's covered film, television, videogames, and of course tech! He's also an aspiring screenwriter and likes that watching movies is considered "work" because of it. You can follow him on twitter @dylanduarte, but be warned that it's mostly the nonsensical ramblings of a potty-mouth.